Norman Jayden: Dodgeball Master
by PinguThePenguin
Summary: We all know that Norman Jayden is the Master of dodging in Heavy Rain. But where did he get his practice from? It all came from a game of dodgeball in elementary school, where he teamed up with his best friend Ethan, and a girl named Madison, who was really good! Together they played against Blake and his friends in the most epic game of dodgeball ever played!


**Author's Note:** No, not all the characters in Heavy Rain were the same age, but I had to make it that way for the sake of the story. It was really fun to write as well! I loved thinking up the insults that little kids in elementary school call each other. That was my favorite part!

Also, I'm a HUGE shipper of** Ethan/Madison** (they're soooooo cute together) but if Ethan wasn't with Grace, then the whole game wouldn't have happened. That's why I hit Grace with a dodgeball.

**Inspiration: **The reason I wrote this was because, throughout the game, I noticed that most of the fight sequences with Norman in them, it mostly consisted of dodging whatever crap was thrown at him., and while controlling him, i thought, 'Jeez, he must have been the Master at dodgeball when he was in school, and thus, this story was born!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything in this story. Not any Heavy Rain characters, not the famous scene from the Matrix, and not the game Heavy Rain itself. That is property of Quantic Dream. (A group of genius')

_**Norman Jayden: Dodgeball Master**_

Little Norman Jayden walked down the hallway of George Lee Elementary, with his backpack hanging off his shoulders as he headed for gym class. He had short brown hair that was neatly brushed and his green eyes were narrowed slightly as he searched the crowded hallway for his friend Ethan. Ethan was Norman best friend, even though Ethan often found himself ignoring Norman completely so he could daydream about his crush, Grace. He had liked her for years, but could never really talk to her. Sighing, Norman gave up and trying to locate Ethan in the crowd, and instead decided to continue on to the gym alone. When he was almost there, however, he bumped harshly into someone by accident, and fell to the ground. "Watch where you're going, Jayden!" A voice Norman knew all too well said harshly.

It was Carter Blake. He was the meanest kid in 3rd grade. Now, for the record, Norman wasn't the most popular kid in school, but that didn't mean everyone was mean to him. Most people just left him to himself, almost like they thought he didn't exist. But Blake was very different. He picked on Jayden whenever he had the chance; which was often because they were in the same class. Norman sighed and pulled himself off the floor, only to be pushed down again by Blake. "What's the matter, Jayden?" he sneered. "Cat got your tongue?" Blake's goonies, Ash and Perry, started laughing as Jayden pulled himself up once again.

"Just leave me alone, Blake!" Norman said, narrowing his eyes and clenching his fists at his sides.

Blake and his friends laughed again. "Or what? Are you gonna hit me? You don't have the guts!"

Before Norman could even get another word out, Ethan ran up to the group, panting like he had just run a mile. "There you are!" he pushed out, directing his words toward Norman. "We have… to go… or else… we'll be late!" he gasped out between breaths. And Normans silence was when he realized that Blake and his friends were there with them, and his blue eyes widened in shock. "Uh…" he stuttered, suddenly very nervous.

Blake rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's get to gym you guys." He said, and then left with Ash and Perry following closely behind.

Ethan instantly turned toward Norman. "What were they doing? Did they want something from you Norm?" he asked, using the nickname he had made for Norman long ago. He couldn't even remember the last time he used Norman's full first name.

Norman sighed for a third time, and started walking t the gym. "No. I just ran into them." He explained. "They were just being stupid."

"You should tell a teacher about that guy!" Ethan advised. "If he's pushing you around all the time, an adult needs to know!"

"But that's embarrassing!" Norman exclaimed. "Blake would just be even meaner than before if I went to anyone, especially a teacher. Plus, he doesn't listen to the teachers in class, why would he listen to them about this?"

Ethan looked concerned. He always paid close attention to the school assemblies about bullies and how if you don't stop the bullying soon, then it only gets worse from there. But he knew Norman was a stubborn boy. He wouldn't eat his vegetables (and he knew this because sometimes Normans mom would invite him and his mother to dinner), he wouldn't leave the library during class time until he had found the book he wanted to read that month, and he wouldn't turn the book back in until he was done with it, even if it was two weeks overdue. He ended up having a library fine of five dollars for that. His mom wasn't very happy. But Ethan knew nothing he did could make Norman give in. It was just fact. "Well," he finally complied. "you should think of something, because if you don't deal with it, it'll only get worse."

Norman frowned. He knew Ethan was telling the truth, and, deep down, he knew Ethan was right, but he couldn't bring himself to be a tattle-tale. If he was going to deal with a bully problem, he wanted to do it on his own! He was a big boy! That's what his mom and dad always told him! His dad even said that one day, Norman would be a great FBI agent just like him! If he was going to work in the FBI, he was sure he could handle a bully. The only question was, how could he deal with it?

As the two friends continued on, Ethan cast a worried side-ways glance at his friend, who was now staring thoughtfully ahead of him. 'Oh boy,' Ethan thought, rolling his eyes to the heavens. 'He's thinking again. That's never good.'

-In the Gymnasium-

Once everyone was in the gym, the students were asked to form a line, shoulder to shoulder. After doing so, the coach stood in front of them all, and picked the team leaders. For that day, they were playing Dodgeball. "Alright," said the coach, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "How about… Blake," Blake immediately pumped his fist in the air with shout of triumph and strutted up to stand next to the coach in pride. Norman simply rolled his eyes. "And… Mars!" the coach finished. Both Ethan and Norman smiled at that, and after a quick high five, Ethan went up to stand opposite Blake, who was scrunching his face in dislike.

Then the teams were made. Blake had, of course, picked most of the boys in the class (he didn't want any cooties from the girls), which left Ethan to pick most of his friends anyway. His first pick was, of course, Norman. Then he picked Grace (as a sorry excuse to talk to her), and then he picked a girl named Madison, who neither Ethan nor Norman had ever talked to, but she seemed like a nice girl.

Once all the kids had been picked, the two teams split off to different ends of the gym. Norman was restless, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet, and shifting his weight between each one. He was full of energy and couldn't wait to get the game started. But he soon caught Blake glaring at him from across the room. He responded by sticking his tongue out at him and making a farting noise. Ethan laughed from beside him, but Blake seemed to glare harder.

"Alright kids, you know the rules." The coach said from the center of the gym where he was throwing the dodgeballs to either teams side. "No passing the center line, which serves as the boundary for the two teams sides. Once I give the 'ok', the new boundary becomes the three-point line. If the ball hits you, you're out permanently. If you catch the ball, then the person who threw that ball is out. If you try to catch the ball, but it bounces out of your hands, then it counts as a hit and you're out. But once a ball hits the wall or the floor mid-throw, it's dead and can't get you out anymore. When all the players are out on one team, that team loses and the other wins." All the balls were on the court, and the coach was now standing against the side of the gym. "When I blow the whistle, the game starts. Ready." All the kids got into a starting position ready to begin the game. "On my whistle. One… two… three…" he blew the whistle loudly.

Mass chaos broke loose.

Kids ran toward the center of the gym gathering as many balls in their arms as they possibly could, backed away from the boundary line and started throwing in every direction. Blake's team, it seemed, had a system, where anyone who had a ball would give it to the guys with good arms, and they threw until, or if, they got out. Then the ones with bad arms would be the backups. Ethan and Norman's team, however, had no such strategy. In fact they were all pretty bad at throwing. Except for Madison, who, both had to admit, was pretty good for a girl. In fact, she was so good, Ethan caught himself staring in awe at her as she threw as many balls she could get her hands on across the room and got out multiple enemies. Luckily, nothing happened to hit him while doing so.

Norman, for the time being, was waiting for the right moment to strike, all the while watching his team deteriorate before his very eyes. They weren't good at all. Madison was asking around quickly for someone to give her a ball so she could get someone out, but they all refused to give her the balls they had, claiming they could get someone out themselves. But when they tried, they failed miserably. Norman watched the scene unfold from his corner, when all of a sudden, a ball whizzed past his head, and he turned sharply to see Blake across the room, smirking at him. "Throw the ball, Jayden!" he shouted over all the noise. "Or are you too chicken!"

Norman's fists clenched around the ball he had in his hands, as everyone in the room gasped and "OOOOHHH'ed" at the insult. And then, Norman stepped away from the wall, stepped his left foot out in front of him, and threw the ball straight at Blake with as much force as he could. But, unfortunately, Blake dodged and the ball hit the kid that was standing behind him, giving him a bloody nose. Blake looked shocked as his teammate ran to the coach, holding his nose, and then turned to glare at the now smiling Norman. "You'll pay for that, pipsqueak!" he shouted.

"Bring it on, buttwipe!" Norman retaliated, influencing the same reaction as before with Blake's 'chicken' insult. Blake then growled and ripped the ball out of another guys hand, and threw it forcefully at Norman. But he quickly dodged and someone tried to catch it but it bounced out of their hands. Sadly they walked away with their head hanging in shame.

Sooner or later, it was three against four. Blake, Perry and Ash versus Norman, Ethan, Madison, and Grace. Norman was actually surprised the game had gone on this long. Class was almost over. They had about ten minutes left before the bell rang and signaled for recess. Norman was determined to win. This could be the way he dealt with his bully problem. If he could beat Blake at dodgeball, then Blake would surely know that he wasn't to be messed with. So from that point on, Norman tried his best to not get hit by the flying projectiles.

But then, Ash threw a blaringly red ball at Grace, and for a moment, Grace thought she was about to get out, until Ethan shouted "NOOO!" and jumped out in front of her, the ball hitting him square in the chest. He landed harshly on the wooden floor and Grace ran to his side, and kneeled down next to him. "Ethan, are you alright?" She asked worriedly, concern lacing her hazel eyes. By now, everyone had stopped moving to watch the two in curiosity.

"Yes." Ethan coughed out. He had landed pretty hard on his back, knocking the wind out of him. "Yes. I think I am."

Grace lifted his head up and stared into his blue eyes. "You saved me from getting out!" She said. "Why would you do that for me?"

Ethan coughed again and smiled tiredly at Grace, but all the while, kindly. "Because you're the prettiest girl I've ever seen, Grace." He explained with a strained voice.

"Oh, Ethan!" Grace exclaimed. "That's so sweet of you! In fact," she looked away shyly for a moment, and then said, "I think I like you."

"Really?!" Ethan shouted. "That's great, because I-"

"OW!" Grace was hit in the head forcefully by another red dodgeball due to being distracted, this time with Blake and his friends laughing in the background. They were laughing so hard in fact, they fell on the floor, and started to roll around as Ethan and Grace dawdled back to the stands where the 'out' kids sat.

Norman and Madison face-palmed.

"Well," Blake said, wiping the tears from his eyes. "That was interesting. But now, it looks it's two against three." Ash and Perry came up behind him with balls in their hands looking fierce all the same. "So what do you say?" he asked, tossing a ball in the air a couple of times. "You wanna give up and surrender now, or you wanna do it the hard way?" Norman and Madison turned to each other, both seeing the answer in each other's eyes. They gave each other a sharp nod, turned back to Blake and Ash and shook their heads side-to-side. Blake laughed again. "Alright then. Your choice." And he threw his ball at both of them, but they jumped aside, and dodged it.

The game continued on. Blake, Perry and Ash throwing balls left and right trying and failing at getting the other two players out. But finally, a throw from Blake hit Madison in the arm when reaching for another dodgeball and she was out in no time. "You can do this, Norman!" She shouted from the stands where she sat with Ethan and Grace, who were now holding hands.

"Yeah, Norm! Kick their butts!" Ethan added on cheering with the rest of the stands (excluding the ones on Blake's team).

So Norman continued to throw the balls on his own, managing to get Perry out while he was distracted. But Norman had soon run out of balls and had nothing to throw. All the balls were on Blake's side now. Norman couldn't believe it. He was doomed. And then, the second worst thing that could've happened to him happened. The coach shouted, "Three-point line!" Norman wasted no time in running back behind the three-point line as balls were barreled at him.

"You want me to just get you out, Jayden?" Blake asked, condescendingly.

"No way!" Norman replied, causing cheers in the crowd.

"Suit yourself." Blake said, and just after, the balls were launched.

But, a rush went through Norman's body. He suddenly felt like he could do anything he wanted, and not a single force could stop him. And as the balls flew at him, he dodged them all like a professional. Everyone in the stands, including the coach, watched in awe as Norman did rolls and even one or two cartwheels to dodge the balls that Blake and Ash threw at him. And once most of the balls were on Norman's side Ash threw a ball aimed right for his chest, but Norman caught it easily, getting Ash out in the last two minutes of the game.

"Alright, that's it you little butt-munch!" Blake shouted picking up the last ball on his side. "This time I'll get you for sure!" The fire in his eyes was enough to say that he wasn't kidding.

Norman smiled and crossed his arms over his chest. "I highly doubt it, Air-head."

That was the last straw for Blake. With a loud battle cry, he launched the ball forward out of his hands and straight for Norman's head as everything seemed to play in slow-motion. But as the ball made it closer to Norman's face, he leaned backward, swinging his arms out to the side for balance, keeping his feet planted firmly on the ground, even as they bent in attempt to get closer to the ground. And to everyone's, including Blake's, astonishment, the ball shot right above and past Norman's face, almost grazing his nose. The ball then hit the wall behind him, as Norman leaned back up to smirk at Blake's gaping mouth. "Told you." He bragged, as he picked up a ball that rolled up to his foot. "Now it's your turn to get out." And he threw the ball with all the force he possibly could put into his throw and Blake, being too shocked to move, stood there as the ball hit him right in the face.

And like that, the game was over.

Everyone cheered and ran from the stands down to where Norman stood victorious. They all hugged him, high-fived him, and patted him on the back, while Blake, Ash, and Perry stood at the opposite end of the court dejectedly mulling over their humiliation. Norman felt on top of the world in that moment. But, it didn't last long, as the bell had rung and everyone had to gather their things and head outside to recess.

"That was so COOL!" Ethan exclaimed, still grasping Grace's hand, but addressing Norman. "How did you do that?!"

"Yeah!" Madison agreed, while walking on the other side of Norman. "That looked like a scene right out of the Matrix!"

Norman simply shrugged his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I don't know how I did it." He explained. "I just did. But at least I finally beat Blake!" he reasoned, feeling very proud of himself.

"Well, whatever you did, it was the greatest thing I had EVER seen." Ethan continued. "You, my friend, are the King of Dodgeball!"

And with that, Norman smiled widely and continued walking to the playground with his friend, Ethan, his friends crush, Grace, and his new friend, Madison. And together, they ruled every game of dodgeball they played from then on.

Well, Norman and Madison did, at least.

**THE END!**


End file.
